How to Appear More Authoritative
Are people with inferior skills getting promoted faster than you are? There are plenty of potential explanations for this, but one is that you aren't exuding the same level of authority as your more successful counterparts. Overall, the key is to cultivate stillness; stillness equals high status. The following steps will help you do that:
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Instructions
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Stand solid with your shoulders square to your listeners. Plant your feet hip-distance apart. Stay still. There is a more advanced approach where the speaker moves around the stage, but in the beginning, focus on being solid and still. If you are sitting, sit as tall as possible to establish credibility.
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Take up more space -- that is, gesture a little larger, stand a little wider and straighter, move around a little, making sure to stay still when you reach your destination (which generates a feeling of stability and certainty).
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Maintain strong eye contact. Generally, speakers should aim for eye contact for 3 to 5 seconds; for a stronger feeling of authority, stay closer to the 5-second limit. With large audiences, divide the room into sections (perhaps a 3 x 3 grid) and make eye contact with someone in each section, covering all sections in the room. Get their heads to nod. Always be looking at someone.
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Hold your head still when speaking.
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Speak loudly. Higher volumes project confidence and authority. However, too much volume causes people to shut down to protect themselves.
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Use short, concise sentences. Eliminate fillers like "sort of," "I think" and "um." Be brief and direct. Declare your opinions boldly. Pause between ideas without yielding the floor. Making people wait for you, just a little, is a very powerful act.
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Use a downward inflection. An upward inflection indicates a question. To increase your appearance of authority, speak with a downward inflection to indicate certainty about what you are saying.
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Tips & Warnings
Dress formally. Wear a dark suit.
Gesturing too widely or moving too much will undermine your credibility and make you look unstable.
Too much eye contact, like too much volume, will make people uncomfortable and shut down to protect themselves.
